


If We Sit Forever and the Fish Don't Bite (Day Two - Under the Stars)

by swampslip



Series: Charthur Week 2021 [1]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: First Kiss, Fishing, Getting Together, Kissing, M/M, Pre-Canon, but like barely, charthurweek2021, i hate lake fishing, monstrous fish in the lake because yeah, night fishing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:02:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28873533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swampslip/pseuds/swampslip
Summary: “Oh my God,”  Arthur whispers, shoving his soaked hair back from his face.He’s not expecting Charles to start laughing, in a deep, belly-shaking way, Arthur turning to stare at the younger man incredulously.Charles has a hand over his eyes and his other arm slung over his stomach as he keeps laughing quietly.“Charles,” Arthur says quietly, huffing, “This ain’t funny.”“Why didn’t you just let go?” Charles asks breathily through snickering, “You could’ve just-”“I know!” Arthur sighs roughly and wipes the water off his face roughly, “I was kinda in shock!”“You were definitely in shock,” Charles chuckles and drops his hands, “Your face-”“Can it.”
Relationships: Arthur Morgan/Charles Smith
Series: Charthur Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2117448
Comments: 18
Kudos: 67
Collections: Charthur Week 2021





	If We Sit Forever and the Fish Don't Bite (Day Two - Under the Stars)

**Author's Note:**

> title from [Fishin' In The Dark by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band](https://open.spotify.com/track/7lJbTVbDEMa3w7NFamrwdq?si=owBFqONcQ8KBSc8zwQsTpQ)

“Are there even fish in this lake?” Arthur grumbles under his breath, leaning back against the hull of the boat and half-heartedly teasing in his lure, reeling slowly for a few seconds then pausing, trying to tempt the alleged fish to bite. 

Charles shakes his head, holding the rod between his legs as he ties back his hair, eyes scanning the moonlit water. 

“You’re more impatient than Jack is,” Charles says quietly, glancing sideways at Arthur.

“I’ve never been great at fishin’,” Arthur smiles tightly and reels in a bit more before looking up at the starry sky instead. 

“Can’t imagine why,” Charles murmurs and Arthur huffs his offense. 

Charles reels and starts re-baiting his hook when Arthur’s arm is almost pulled out of the socket by the sudden tugging of the rod. 

Reel nearly screaming as line is pulled out and both men stare at the spinning spool. 

Watching as the amount of line gets less and less. 

“What the hell?” Arthur says roughly and crawls up onto one of the seats

Grabbing the handle and starts trying to reel back, but the line’s moving fast and strong and the boat lurches as it gets to the end. 

Charles makes a sound that’s half-amused, half-nervous as he sets down his rod and grabs the oars. 

The boat slowly starts moving in the direction the line’s being pulled. 

“Uh-oh,” Charles whispers. 

“The hell’s in these waters?”

“… I can’t be sure, but folk say nightfishing here brings in fish big enough to feed you for a week,” Charles says slowly. 

“We probably should’ve fished from the shore,” Arthur bitches quietly and keeps trying to gain some slack in the line, “Shit.”

“It’s coming back.”

“I can see that!”

Charles curses quietly and starts rowing, trying to time it so they can turn with the fish and not have the line get caught under the boat. 

Arthur keeps reeling, glancing at Charles, then the water, then Charles, as the point where the line breaks the water is getting closer and closer. 

And goes directly under the boat. 

Arthur curses louder and tries flinging the edge of the line over one bow but it’s too late, and his rod dips sharply down into the water. 

The boat’s starting to tilt to one side.

“Let go,” Charles says quickly, “Arthur, just-”

And the boat rocks when Charles moves to grab Arthur, enough that one edge is pulled under and suddenly everything’s being turned over, both men splashing into the water. 

For as light as the night is with the full moon and heavy blanket of stars it’s dark as shit underwater, visibility only at two or so inches. 

Arthur struggles under the boat, letting go of the rod in his panic to swim back up to the surface. 

He breaks into the air gasping and turning around, looking for Charles. 

The younger man comes up a few feet away. 

Their eyes meet for a second then they both realize they’re _in_ the water with whatever monster just tipped their boat and simultaneously start booking it towards the shore. 

Charles beats him and his hand wraps around Arthur’s arm, tugging the older man with him until they’re both on the dirt a few feet from the water’s lapping edge. 

Staring at each other in shock. 

Arthur sits up quickly to look for the boat but can’t see it, only ripples spreading out from roughly where they were, and an otherwise calm, unsuspecting lake. 

“Oh my God,” Arthur whispers, shoving his soaked hair back from his face. 

He’s not expecting Charles to start laughing, in a deep, belly-shaking way, Arthur turning to stare at the younger man incredulously. 

Charles has a hand over his eyes and his other arm slung over his stomach as he keeps laughing quietly. 

“Charles,” Arthur says quietly, huffing, “This ain’t funny.”

“Why didn’t you just let go?” Charles asks breathily through snickering, “You could’ve just-”

“I know!” Arthur sighs roughly and wipes the water off his face roughly, “I was kinda in shock!”

“You were definitely in shock,” Charles chuckles and drops his hands, “Your face-”

“Can it.”

Charles keeps laughing breathily and Arthur shoves at the younger man’s shoulder, Charles looking up at him and Arthur’s just a bit stunned with how good the younger man looks, smiling, dark eyes warm and reflecting the stars. 

“Ain’t that funny,” Arthur mutters, feeling his cheeks heat. 

“Maybe we should take a poll back at camp,” Charles teases softly, “’Cause I think it’s pretty funny.”

“Yeah yeah, great story to never tell anyone ever,” Arthur shoves at Charles’ shoulder lightly again, then rests his hand there, feeling the younger man’s warmth through the soaked cotton, “Ever, Charles.”

“Is that a threat?” Charles asks, sounding completely un-threatened, if anything, amused at Arthur’s attempt. 

“Maybe.”

“I’m sure John’d love to hear about this,” Charles says, still teasing and Arthur’s face heats further, not used to this level of playfulness from Charles being aimed at _him_.

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

Charles huffs quietly and goes quiet for a moment. 

Then quietly starts snickering again and Arthur groans, turning onto his knees and pressing down on Charles’ shoulder. 

“C’mon, Charles,” Arthur mutters, “Stop.”

Charles covers his mouth but his eyes are still crinkled with amusement, staring up at Arthur, silently shaking under the older man. 

Arthur stares down at him, swallowing the warmth building in him. 

He moves his free hand to Charles’ and uncovers the younger man’s mouth. 

And Charles lets him, easy and loose on the ground. 

It’s too tempting, he has the excuse-

And Charles looks so…

Happy. 

Arthur wants some of that happiness. 

He leans down and presses his lips firmly to Charles’, pinning the younger man’s shoulder and hand to the ground. 

Charles makes a small sound of surprise under him, his free hand shooting up to grab at Arthur, faltering, hesitating, his fingertips just barely brushing Arthur’s waist through the wet fabric. 

Arthur pulls back to look down at Charles and feels his embarrassment growing ten-fold at the shock on Charles’ face. 

“Sorry,” Arthur says hoarsely, his brows furrowing roughly as he sits up more, hovering over Charles, “Stop laughin’.”

And Arthur starts pulling away but Charles’ fingers move that short distance and grab his shirt, keeping him in place. 

“Wait,” Charles says softly, dark eyes flicking over Arthur’s guarded expression, “Was that… Was that just to shut me up?”

Arthur swallows thickly again and shakes his head, averting his eyes to stare at his hand pressing Charles’ into the dirt. 

Charles’ fingers curl in the fabric of the older man’s shirt and tug. 

Until Arthur’s back down in his space, crowding him into the ground and he can see each freckle on Arthur’s face in perfect detail. 

“Charles,” Arthur whispers hoarsely, “What’re you doin’?”

“You can,” Charles murmurs and tugs on Arthur’s shirt again, “Keep… Keep going.”

Arthur ducks his head for a moment and Charles thinks the older man might shy away. 

Then Arthur closes his eyes and tips his head to press his lips back to Charles’. 

Fingertips brushing over Charles’ palm as he adjusts their hands, intertwines their fingers and squeezes. 

Charles makes a quiet, pleased sound against the older man’s mouth and feels Arthur’s knee slip between his so the older man can balance over him. 

He tilts his head up to Arthur, asking silently for more, untucking the older man’s shirt and sliding his hand under to grab at Arthur’s hip, bare skin under his palm. 

Arthur shudders against him and pulls back. 

Staring, and now it’s the older man’s who’s shocked. 

“Too fast?” Charles asks carefully. 

“Just… Didn’t realize you…” Arthur makes a face of mild frustration and sits up a bit. 

“How long have you wanted to do that?”

“… A while.”

Charles huffs a soft laugh and Arthur looks off to the side, pressing his lips together. 

“You should’ve said,” Charles gently squeezes the older man’s hand and hip. 

Arthur shrugs lightly. 

“I mean it, Arthur, you don’t have to hide this from me,” Charles says softly, seeing the hesitation in the way Arthur’s holding himself tightly. 

“How we gonna get that boat back?” Arthur mutters quietly, obviously trying to change the topic. 

“Eager to go fishing again?”

“… No.”

Charles smiles up at him and Arthur chews at his lower lip then leans back down, kissing the younger man’s cheek, shifting to straddle Charles, mumbling. 

“Much rather do this.”

Charles laughing softly as Arthur kisses down the younger man’s neck. 

**Author's Note:**

> [charthur week tumblr](https://charthurweek.tumblr.com)   
>  [charthur week twitter](https://twitter.com/CharthurWeek)   
>  [my tumblr](https://providentialeyes.tumblr.com)   
>  [horny twitter](https://www.twitter.com/swampslip)


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